
The Fortunes of Blues and Blessings
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Glynn Holmes Sr.
About this listen
Step into the rich tapestry of American history as one family's destiny intertwines with the blues of heartbreak and the blessings of joy.
The Fortunes of Blues and Blessing unfolds as a sweeping historical saga that illuminates the journey of an extraordinary black family in America. Spanning over a century and five generations, this captivating novel takes root in 1849, tracing the family's roots from Sierra Leone to the rice plantations of Georgia. At the heart of this gripping tale is Hercules, a young African enslaved and renamed upon arrival in Charleston. His bond with Rachel, a fellow captive, forms the foundation of a remarkable legacy.
As their daughter Maia grows up amidst the privilege of the Bailey Plantation, her path intersects with the turbulent backdrop of the Civil War. Fleeing the plantation, Maia returns to Ossabaw Island, where she finds solace and love in Aaron, a skilled tradesman seeking refuge. As the years unfold, the family flourishes and migrates inland, overcoming adversity with resilience and determination. Maia embraces her passion for writing, while Aaron becomes a trailblazer in the construction industry. Their daughter Diana, a talented singer and Fisk Jubilee Singer, grapples with her dreams of fame and the complexities of identity. Meanwhile, Maia's grief for lost children and Aaron's burning desire to empower his people shape their destinies.
Blending the depth of 'Roots' with the captivating journey of 'Forrest Gump,' this enthralling narrative introduces listeners to real-life black individuals who have left an indelible mark on African American history. Immerse yourself in a tale where the extraordinary becomes ordinary, where the struggles and triumphs of one family mirror the collective experience of a resilient community. In the depths of struggle and the heights of triumph, discover the extraordinary journey of a black family across generations and continents.
©2014 Karen Sloan-Brown (P)2024 Karen Sloan-BrownPeople who viewed this also viewed...
-
This Tumbleweed Landed
- Southwest History & Country Living
- By: Larada Horner-Miller
- Narrated by: Larada Horner-Miller
- Length: 1 hr and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Growing up as a member of a ranching family in Branson, a small town in southeastern Colorado, provided author Larada Horner-Miller a treasure-trove of stories, characters, and emotional moments that make up her touching memoir, This Tumbleweed Landed. This collection of poems and prose transports listeners back to rural America during the fifties and sixties, to one idyllic, tight-knit community in particular.
-
Master of the Art of Detection
- Sherlock Holmes Mystery Short Story Collection
- By: Liese Sherwood-Fabre
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Decipher. Deduce. Deliver. Sherlock Holmes, the most cerebral of detectives, finds his deductive powers put to the test in this intriguing collection of cases. Each adventure presents a web of secrets, clues, and deceptions. Only his highly honed observational skills lead him to the truth. In a locked-room murder, did the victim succumb to “The Curse of Kisin?” And how had the daughter of Squire Northridge disappeared from her own locked bedroom? Can Holmes, an ocean away, determine if a missing treasure hunter ran off with Jean Lafitte’s fabled buried plunder? The disappearance of a ...
-
A Haunting in Plum Hollow
- By: Ambrose Ibsen
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Siblings Michael and Ellery Lisbon are desperate for a fresh start. Reeling after a series of misfortunes, the pair settle down in the quiet town of Plum Hollow in the hopes of kick-starting their stalled lives. The house they move into is unbelievably affordable—a seeming gem in a ferociously competitive market. But it was in this house that, two years prior, a family was savagely butchered. Despised by their neighbors, the siblings are left to grapple with the grisly reality of the house's past—and with the possibility that the evil behind the slayings is still present.
-
-
I love anything by this author.
- By E morton on 03-28-25
By: Ambrose Ibsen
-
The Monk
- A Romance
- By: Matthew Gregory Lewis
- Narrated by: James K. White
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Monk: A Romance is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, published in 1796. A quickly written book from early in Lewis's career it was published before he turned twenty. It is a prime example of the male Gothic that specialises in the aspect of horror.
-
Story of a Murder
- The Wives, the Mistress, and Dr. Crippen
- By: Hallie Rubenhold
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On February 1, 1910, the vivacious, diamond-adorned music hall performer Belle Elmore suddenly vanished from her home, causing alarm among her friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild. Their demands for an investigation would lead to the unearthing of a gruesome secret and trigger a fevered international manhunt for Belle’s husband, medical fraudster Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen.
-
-
Great but none of the heart of The Five
- By S. Armor on 04-13-25
By: Hallie Rubenhold
-
The Wizard of Lies
- Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust
- By: Diana B. Henriques
- Narrated by: Pam Ward
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who is Bernie Madoff, and how did he pull off the biggest Ponzi scheme in history? These questions have fascinated people ever since the news broke about the respected New York financier who swindled his friends, relatives, and other investors out of $65 billion. Many have speculated about what must have happened, but no reporter has been able to get the full story - until now. Diana B. Henriques of the New York Times has written the definitive book on the man and his scheme.
-
-
The best of 3 madoff books
- By Angela willis on 03-18-13
-
This Tumbleweed Landed
- Southwest History & Country Living
- By: Larada Horner-Miller
- Narrated by: Larada Horner-Miller
- Length: 1 hr and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Growing up as a member of a ranching family in Branson, a small town in southeastern Colorado, provided author Larada Horner-Miller a treasure-trove of stories, characters, and emotional moments that make up her touching memoir, This Tumbleweed Landed. This collection of poems and prose transports listeners back to rural America during the fifties and sixties, to one idyllic, tight-knit community in particular.
-
Master of the Art of Detection
- Sherlock Holmes Mystery Short Story Collection
- By: Liese Sherwood-Fabre
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Decipher. Deduce. Deliver. Sherlock Holmes, the most cerebral of detectives, finds his deductive powers put to the test in this intriguing collection of cases. Each adventure presents a web of secrets, clues, and deceptions. Only his highly honed observational skills lead him to the truth. In a locked-room murder, did the victim succumb to “The Curse of Kisin?” And how had the daughter of Squire Northridge disappeared from her own locked bedroom? Can Holmes, an ocean away, determine if a missing treasure hunter ran off with Jean Lafitte’s fabled buried plunder? The disappearance of a ...
-
A Haunting in Plum Hollow
- By: Ambrose Ibsen
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Siblings Michael and Ellery Lisbon are desperate for a fresh start. Reeling after a series of misfortunes, the pair settle down in the quiet town of Plum Hollow in the hopes of kick-starting their stalled lives. The house they move into is unbelievably affordable—a seeming gem in a ferociously competitive market. But it was in this house that, two years prior, a family was savagely butchered. Despised by their neighbors, the siblings are left to grapple with the grisly reality of the house's past—and with the possibility that the evil behind the slayings is still present.
-
-
I love anything by this author.
- By E morton on 03-28-25
By: Ambrose Ibsen
-
The Monk
- A Romance
- By: Matthew Gregory Lewis
- Narrated by: James K. White
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Monk: A Romance is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, published in 1796. A quickly written book from early in Lewis's career it was published before he turned twenty. It is a prime example of the male Gothic that specialises in the aspect of horror.
-
Story of a Murder
- The Wives, the Mistress, and Dr. Crippen
- By: Hallie Rubenhold
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On February 1, 1910, the vivacious, diamond-adorned music hall performer Belle Elmore suddenly vanished from her home, causing alarm among her friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild. Their demands for an investigation would lead to the unearthing of a gruesome secret and trigger a fevered international manhunt for Belle’s husband, medical fraudster Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen.
-
-
Great but none of the heart of The Five
- By S. Armor on 04-13-25
By: Hallie Rubenhold
-
The Wizard of Lies
- Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust
- By: Diana B. Henriques
- Narrated by: Pam Ward
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who is Bernie Madoff, and how did he pull off the biggest Ponzi scheme in history? These questions have fascinated people ever since the news broke about the respected New York financier who swindled his friends, relatives, and other investors out of $65 billion. Many have speculated about what must have happened, but no reporter has been able to get the full story - until now. Diana B. Henriques of the New York Times has written the definitive book on the man and his scheme.
-
-
The best of 3 madoff books
- By Angela willis on 03-18-13
What listeners say about The Fortunes of Blues and Blessings
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 01-19-25
Enjoyed This Book! Outstanding!
I really enjoyed listening to The Fortunes of Blues and Blessings. This book is a depiction of the lives of three generations of African-American families, working hard to provide a better life for their generation. The author beautifully unfold their lives during the Pre and Post-Civil War Era. I had mix emotions throughout the book. The story made me smile during celebratory events, and sad when one of the characters in the book did not realize how blessed they were. There were some scenes in the book where I was completely shocked at the outcome. The ending was a jaw dropper! This book consisted of love, joy, lust, deaths, scandals, music, blues, and blessings. The author, Karen Sloan-Brown, did a magnificent job. I am looking forward to part two, or her next new book. Also, the narrator, Glynn Holmes, did an outstanding job of bringing the characters to life. Can’t wait to hear more from him.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!